Is this smoking bird blunt?
Did you hear a collective cheer just before Valentine’s Day? That might have been cannabis entrepreneurs rejoicing at the news of a major policy change at Twitter that will now allow cannabis ads on its platform. Cannabis advertising is highly regulated and very limited, and other major online platforms Facebook and Google do not allow the marketing of marijuana of any kind. Advertisers on Twitter will still have to follow state and local regulations, but the move is big for the nascent industry, especially if other Internet giants follow suit.
Some entrepreneurs are already thinking about how they will use the platform. Aaron Rivadeneyra, director of e-commerce at KIVA, a California-based company that offers gum, chocolates, mints and chews with THC, CBD and CBN, says the company is interested in exploring paid advertising on Twitter to spread awareness among existing users. products and “creating hype for new product launches”. “Twitter will enable Kiva and cannabis to join the digital social conversation like never before,” he said.
hemp chocolate
Ashley Fields, senior vice president of marketing and communications at cannabis beverage company Cann, welcomed the new rules as a step towards smoothing the gap between how alcohol and cannabis-infused drinks are advertised. The increasing opportunities for drinks like Cann to be marketed shows that the conversation is moving towards normalization, legalization and “the quality of the substance,” he said.
5W, a PR agency that launched a CBD and hemp division in 2018, sees a lot of potential. Executive vice president Paul Miser says the new rules could affect customers in cannabis-related categories such as women’s and men’s skin care, pet products, edibles, wellness, pain relief, sleep aids, food, beverages , cannabis delivery services and consulting services.
Advertisers, once approved, will be able to use all of Twitter’s advertising spaces, including promoted tweets and in-stream video sponsorships.
weed sign with arrows and palm trees
There are of course limitations. Among them: Advertisers can only target jurisdictions where the substance is legal. Ads may not feature a person, character or animal and may not be directed at persons under 18 years of age. Advertisements cannot associate marijuana with glamour, recreation, excitement, vitality, danger or daring. In fact, the guidelines state that advertisers are not allowed to promote or offer to sell cannabis (including CBD, a non-psychoactive ingredient).
Even with strict guidelines, “this Twitter move is such a big win for the cannabis industry,” said 5W’s Miser. Now, he said, “we’re keeping our eyes peeled for other social platforms” that might start to they make their own limitations.